King of the Kooks Fred Phelps protests Mr. Rogers funeral!

[GrapeJ713]

A group of about a half dozen members of an anti-gay organization gathered at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Sixth Street to protest what they called Rogers' failure to condemn homosexuality. The group, which included an 8-year-old girl, held signs expressing their hatred of gays and, while standing on a torn American flag, their hatred of America.

They were met by about 150 counter-demonstrators, members of gay rights and peace groups, who marched along the sidewalks and sang songs from Rogers' program while holding signs calling for love and tolerance. While there were some heated exchanges, there were no arrests either there or at three other sites -- the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the University of Pittsburgh and Chatham College.

The anti-gay group, members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, has a history of picketing at funerals of gays and those they accuse of being supportive of gays. It is led by Fred Phelps, a self-proclaimed minister and disbarred attorney. He was not present at the demonstration yesterday.

Fred Phelps protests Mr. Rogers memorial service (http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030504rogers0504p1.asp)

Is anyone more of a kook than Phelps? He's protesting at a funeral of one of the most well loved people in the last half century that also happened to be a christian minister. He thinks all people should hate everyone he hates and should be just as vocal about it. I'm sure it's more about publicity than anything to do with Mr. Rogers, he knew the media would be there so he sent the kook squad is my theory.

[Dancing David]

oooh, Big Bird is oo gonna get it for living with Mr. Snuffleupagus, OH MY GOD, does this mean Bert and Ernie are going to jave to keep one foot on the floor at all times.

Peace

[Blue Monk]

That is really sad.

Hatred can be so self-consuming.

[Denise]

The man is such a parody of everything wrong about Christianity that I keep thinking he's gonna stand up one day and say "Folks, I was joking, I was just seeing how many people would blindly follow me." Then, his flock would stone him to death.

[Upchurch]

This, I think, is an excellent example of religion gone wrong.

:(

[Wally]

I can’t remember who to attribute this quote to but it seems appropriate.

“You know you’ve found the right religion when God hates the same people you do”

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by Upchurch
This, I think, is an excellent example of religion gone wrong.

:(

Fred Phelps characterizes everything I despise about religion

[Upchurch]

Originally posted by Nyarlathotep

Fred Phelps characterizes everything I despise about religion Amen.

Brother Phelps has a website, does he not? Anyone know the URL?

[GrapeJ713]

Originally posted by Upchurch
Amen.

Brother Phelps has a website, does he not? Anyone know the URL?

I think he is the one that runs www.godhatesfags.com
I can't check right now, because I'm at work and I don't want big brother wondering why I would go there.

[Quixote]

It's hard to believe that site isn't a parody. They refer to their hate inspired picketing as "love crusades". The article (?) "All nations must immediately outlaw sodomy (homosexuality) & impose the death penalty!" is illustrated with a picture of picketers. One is holding a sign that reads "Thank God for Sept. 11" Truely sick minds are at work there.

[Darwin]

Hmmm.
I´m not a bible expert,but having talked with some people who seem to know it better do let me know that it only briefly expresses that homosexuality (naturally not under that name) is something to the direction of "wrong"."God hates fags" whoopla is something slightly over the lines.

Mr.Rogers seems to have been a good man.

As for religion gone wrong,I guess we should be thankful (thankful to God perhaps?) that people with red hair are not going to hell anymore (I hope) and witches are not as openly looked for.Obviously this belief must belong to those chosen ones that cannot be debunked while civilisation that they are so fond of,does evolve?

While in Michigan briefly, I had the misfortune to meet a man named John Mangopolous. Same loony religion-based hatred, called homosexual acts 'faggotry'... and, I surmised, a serious closet case with self-hatred always driving his vitriol. Hard-core Republican who gave Republicans a bad name. He had a local public access channel show or something called 'The Unreported News'...

He was the brother of a greasy-spoon owner, and was in the place every once in a while. It was all I could do not to punch his self-righteous face.

[Checkmite]

Did Mr. Rogers ever say anything about homosexuality one way or the other? Is that this guy's problem - that such a public figure never spoke out against it? :confused:

Apparently, God now not only "hates fags", but everyone who doesn't care about the issue as well.

[GrapeJ713]

I remember hearing on NPR the week after Mr. Rogers died about how he felt about religion and why he never discussed it on his show, even though he was a minister. He said that he didn't want to exclude children that had different belief systems. I don't remember him ever going on and on about how wonderful christianigy was when interviewed unless directly asked. I wish more christians would follow his example and just shut up and try to be good people.

[Finella]

Mr. Rogers. While I couldn't stand him as a kid, it wasn't until I was an adult that I really appreciated him. He obviously was an example of Christianity in its best sense.

Phelps makes me hurl. I've witnessed some of his followers' demonstrations personally, and I can't understand how he sees himself as an upstanding moral character while he makes five-year-olds carry signs depicting stick figures having anal sex. As others have said, obviously an example of religion gone terribly wrong. It makes me sad. And angry.


---,---'--{@

[darling]

Originally posted by Joshua Korosi
Did Mr. Rogers ever say anything about homosexuality one way or the other? Maybe Phelps thinks that with a name like that...

[UnrepentantSinner]

If Fred Phelps has crossed the intellectual Rubicon of condemning one of the sweetest most respected people in America for not attacking homosexuality, then truely, he's gone off the deep end.

Actually the juxtaposition of Presbyterian minister Fred Rogers with wild eyed hate monger Fred Phelps is something to be studied by Christians in America to get some idea about effective ministry.

If I am wrong, and there's a heaven and hell, I hope that Mr. Rogers will smile when I kick Fred Phelps ass for all eternity.

[tamiO]

I went to the website and clicked a link entitled "Fred the Movie"
( http://www.fredthemovie.com/ ) thinking it was something about Fred Rogers.

Apparently there is a documentary out there called "Hatemongers - The True Story of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church."
In my reading, I found a disturbing blurb.

Al Gore's '88 presidential campaign efforts (in Kansas) were coordinated by Fred's son (with Fred's law offices being used by Gore staff).

[Peskanov]

Darwin,
----
quote:
I´m not a bible expert,but having talked with some people who seem to know it better do let me know that it only briefly expresses that homosexuality (naturally not under that name) is something to the direction of "wrong"."God hates fags" whoopla is something slightly over the lines.
----

Well, does "sodoma & gomorra" rings a bell? Where do you think the word "sodomy" comes? BTW, live incineration was the punishment!
Plus, a big chunk of the old testament laws regulates sexual life. Usual punishment for homosexuality, travestism, incest & zoophilia was lapidation.
With the new testament the old law becomes fuzzy, so I guess they are free to interpret it as they please...

[Ladewig]

Well, does "sodoma & gomorra" rings a bell? Where do you think the word "sodomy" comes? BTW, live incineration was the punishment!
Plus, a big chunk of the old testament laws regulates sexual life. Usual punishment for homosexuality, travestism, incest & zoophilia was lapidation.
With the new testament the old law becomes fuzzy, so I guess they are free to interpret it as they please...

Most Bible scholars define the sin of the citizens of Sodom as inhospitality not homosexuality. The citizens wanted to attack two travellers (disguised angels) who had been offered lodging by Lot. The passage itself (Gen 18:16 - 19:38) is a bit strange. The hero, Lot, offers up his virgin daughters to the mob if they will not attack the travellers. By the end of the story, Lot and his family, the only ones defined as righteous in the entire city, have engaged in incest. It appears that my definition of righteousness differs from Yehwah's definition. Oh, and don't forget all the infants and toddlers who were killed by God's special holy cleansing fire.

Furthermore, even if homosexuality is the abomination that F. P. says it is, how come he and his ilk never go after idolaters? The Bible clearly and repeatedly states that idolatry is the worst of all sins and there are quite a few idolaters within driving distance of Phelps's church. I estimate that far more people are kept from welcoming God into their hearts by idolatry than by homosexuality.

[Edwin]

Originally posted by Ladewig
Furthermore, even if homosexuality is the abomination that F. P. says it is, how come he and his ilk never go after idolaters? The Bible clearly and repeatedly states that idolatry is the worst of all sins and there are quite a few idolaters within driving distance of Phelps's church. I estimate that far more people are kept from welcoming God into their hearts by idolatry than by homosexuality.

Shhh! Don't give him ideas.

[aggle_rithm]

Anyone remember that study a few years back where they measured the subject's sexual arousal when viewing certain images? They found that the more homophobic a man was, the more sexually excited he would get viewing homoerotic images.

I bet Phelps would fly right off the charts...

[Peach Jr.]

Mr. Rogers bored me to tears as a child. Now, I eagerly look forward to the day when my little one can sit still in front of the TV long enough to watch it with me.

Fred Rogers had always struck me as being a good, decent man. I was unaware of the fact he was a minister. Mr. Roger's Neighborhood remains one of the last good TV shows for very young children.

Rev. Fred, on the other hand - I don't have the vocabulary available on this board to say exactly what I think of him.

If there is a god and a heaven, I sure hope that Fred Rogers is hurling lightening bolts at Rev. Freddy right now:mad:

[GrapeJ713]

Originally posted by Ladewig

Furthermore, even if homosexuality is the abomination that F. P. says it is, how come he and his ilk never go after idolaters? The Bible clearly and repeatedly states that idolatry is the worst of all sins and there are quite a few idolaters within driving distance of Phelps's church. I estimate that far more people are kept from welcoming God into their hearts by idolatry than by homosexuality.

Who are the modern day idolaters? The only people I can think of is the catholic church and some buddhists and wiccans.

[NightG1]

Originally posted by GrapeJ713
A group of about a half dozen members of an anti-gay organization gathered at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Sixth Street to protest what they called Rogers' failure to condemn homosexuality.

Apperently Mr. Phelps turned his vitrol on the gay community when he was forced to stop beating his wife and kids and needed a new outlet for his self-loathing. Of course, Fred denies ever beating anyone. This is (http://www.rickross.com/reference/westboro/westboro3.html) a link to a story about Nate and Mark Phelps - both sons of Fred - who escaped their father's torture and are the only of the Phelps children to publically speak out against him. As a skeptic, I wish there was better evidence for the beatings but as an anti-cultist, I'll take what I can get.